bifocals- when to "face it"?

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pybyr

Minister of Fire
Jun 3, 2008
2,300
Adamant, VT 05640
I've got really bad eyesight and have ever since I was very young- extreme nearsightedness combined with extreme astigmatism. Glasses are an absolute necessity, I wear them all the time, and I don't mind wearing them. No interest whatsoever in contact lenses, and I have seriously explored laser surgery but been informed that I am not a good candidate for it.

Here's my question- now in my mid 40s, I do find times that it's a bit hard to get my eyes to adjust to certain mid-close distances- with the glasses it is too hard to focus, but without them, the only way I can see anything clearly is 6 inches in front of my nose, at which point I am cross-eyed, plus I can't leave my glasses off and carry out any sort of ordinary activity.

I am making do, but I sense this is the writing on the wall that I am headed towards bifocals, just not sure when I'll have really passed the point of no return...

I try to buy good lenses and frames and keep them a really long time- which I am able to do because my prescription hasn't shifted significantly in years. I'd rather have one instance of sizeable wallet pain and get something that will last and I will be happy with than dealing with things that break or bend (and I end up being rough on my glasses due to lots of activities and a certain inborn klutziness- but really good frames end up less costly over time than flimsy ones).

My 'newest' pair of frames just broke so I pulled an older pair of glasses out of standby/ backup.

I don't want to invest in new frames and lenses with single-prescription lenses only to kick myself in a year if I realize I should have just taken the plunge to bifocals.

At the same time, I have known of a lot of people who seem to have hated bifocals- either inherently or getting used to them - having to tilt their head to unnatural angles, etc.- so I am not eager to make the transition any earlier than I have to.

Separate glasses for distance and reading are not a good option, in terms of either budget or carrying them around with me.

How "do you know" that it is time to face getting bifocals? I prefer to hear/ go by informed user info/ experience than what someone is trying to up-sell me to...

Thanks!
 
I'm in the same boat although my eyes were good til about 40, then reading glasses, now I'm having to face bifocals. I have trouble looking down, like stairs. For watching tv and the laptop at the same time, and driving (seeing the road and instruments) I like them. I keep the bifocals in the car, since that's when I use them most. For the computer at work, bifocals don't make it for me-extreme head angle. Somebody at work told me recently that she has bifocal contacts that work great. I might give them a whirl even though I tried once and failed to get the hang of contacts.
 
PS: I've taken to carrying both reading and distance glasses with me in my pocket. They are both 'readers', only one is weaker than the other. That might not work with your eyes though.
 
Progressive lense, only the digital enhanced ones. Then for reading one pair of readers and another pair of readers for the computer. Progressives are not so good for reading for any length of time. But if you are driving you can shift your eyes from the road to the dash without bending your head up and down. Get your Rx and a copy of your fitted frames. Then go online and buy you replacement glasses, frames etc.for a fraction of what you pay for the same thing at retail outlets.
 
How "do you know" that it is time to face getting bifocals?

I don't know because I couldn't focus on the screen to read your post!

Get used to the rest of your life wishing like you could see like you used to. Do the best you can with the budget you have. Eye glass lenses and frames have to rank among the highest rip-offs in the pseudo health care system. What a racket.
 
I'm in the same boat, broke down and bought a couple of pairs this year, one for driving which I will wear occasionally and the other for reading and looking at the computer that I never use because i can never find the correct place to look through the lense. Getting old sucks, but at least I haven't had to start taking the little blue pill YET!
 
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My doctor told me its better to get bifocals sooner than later. It's easier to get used to them when you only need a little magnification as there is not as much difference between the two parts of the lense.

Last time I was in the eyeglass store, they had a new technology that allowed you to turn the bifocal part on and off with the touch of a button on the side of the frame.
 
I have 3 pairs of glasses. Transition lenses that I wear nearly all the time. BiFocal Safety Glasses for when I'm working in the shops & BiFocal Sunglasses for riding the Ultra. My eyesight is actually pretty good for distances or TV viewing without wearing glasses, but I can't read anything (near to me) AT ALL without them. I, too, have astigmatism & my prescription generally changes every two years - maybe more often, but my health plan only covers the exam every two...I can grab some of my older frames & read out of one eye or the other clearly, depending on the orientation of the out-of-round condition of the astigmatism is located. Don't wear contacts & not interested in the laser treatment. Glasses are just something I'm gonna live with
 
Glasses since fifth grade. Tried contacts for a while at about age 34...hated them. I knew I needed bifocals when I could no longer focus on up-close objects. When that got bad enough, I went & got them. First bifocals ~age 44, took very little time to get used to them. Tried the "no line" kind of lenses once...hated them. Trifocals ~age 55. I'm 63 now. Don't really give it much thought...seeing clearly is a heck of a lot more important than how many focal lengths my glasses provide. I have another pair of bifocals with my near and mid corrections, they're perfect for computer/desktop stuff...wearing them right now. I think it was BrotherBart who said, "Getting old was a blast...it's being old that sucks." That may be true, but it's better than the alternative. Rick
 
I've been wearing glasses for about 55 years now, and I've been wearing bifocals for about 20 years. I got the regular kind, not the progressive, and I like them fine. For computer work, I got a pair with the reading prescription all the way up, so I don't have to tilt my head, and that's worked out great. I can still read with the regular bifocals, so I don't carry the readers around.

I have long had the anti-glare coating on my lenses, and it's definitely worth the money - no glare, no reflections, easier on the eyes while night driving. The only drawback is that the coating is porous, so you have to wash the lenses, since merely wiping them just smears.
 
I have my eyes examined & my visual acuity tested by an Ophthalmologist who has nothing whatever to do with selling me new glasses/frames/lenses. She (who is also a real babe, BTW ;lol) is a totally thorough professional who I trust completely. She does a very thorough exam, and describes to me every detail of what she sees/finds. She has told me that I'm beginning to develop cataracts (no big surprise, anyone who lives long enough will get them), and will monitor them and we'll discuss when we think it's time to take some sort of action in that regard. Based on her testing, she'll write me scrips for whatever pairs of glasses we think would be useful. I then take those scrips wherever I want and have glasses ordered. My Ophthalmologist is not trying to sell me anything. Oh, here she is now...(this pic hardly does her justice) :cool:

Balcer.jpg
 
I hear ya. I didn't know you could get the Rx and then obtain the glasses on line.

Have had very good luck with www.glassesshop.com...but know there are others out there too.

I bought three pairs over the summer (Glasses, light sun glasses and dark sun glasses, all RX...paid less than $100 for all three)

If you have a copy of your RX, you should give them a try. (Also, sometimes its hard to judge frames online without trying them on, so you can always go down to your mall/eye shop and try on pairs you like and just write down the make model # of the frames)

I'll never buy my frames/lens as the optomotrist again.
 
When I was still riding motorcycles, I did business with these folks, and was always very pleased.

http://www.sportrx.com/
 
I had polio at age 4 and have worn glasses ever since. Still hate them but have only one eye that works, thanks to the polio. But I have to take good care of that one eye. Still, not too many problems over the years except it seemed I was forever buying a stronger pair. Then one day the eye doctor told me I had no choice but to go to bifocals. Although I hated to, I could not see a big problem as I knew many who had them and had no problem. So I ordered a pair.

Wrong!!!!! Terrible thing it was. I did try and used them for almost a week before I went back and told the doctor to make me the best he could but only single lense. Plain and simple, I got sick, like motion sickness all the time. I also seemed to be stumbling a lot. He wanted me to try those kind without a line. Worse yet. Had to look in only one direction. Look a bit to the side I'd have to turn my head as I could not change eyeball position else it got really blurry. So went back to the single lens.

Got along just fine for maybe 4 or 5 more years. Then one day he told me I had not much choice as he just could not get anything close to what I needed and I'd have to go to trifocals! What?!!!! This I really dreaded but was assured that if need be, I could get a 100% refund. So I tried them.

Bingo! The minute I put the trifocals on I loved them. Been wearing them for a long time now and still love them.

Never could figure out why I could not wear bifocals but trifocals work great.
 
I wonder if the bifocals were ground incorrectly. I have had several wrong grinds over the years, finally learned what to look for.
 
Yes, they were checked and double checked.
 
Glasses since 5th grade here, too. Near sightedness with astigmatism as well ( if you can spell that word, you know what it means ;)) . Got progressively worse (script changed every 2 years). Tried contacts, hated them.

Fast forward to about 40, sitting in the chair, and the distance gets adjusted to "nice". Then the guy puts a book infront of me and says "read this"... I said read what? :mad: Bifocal time.

Got the unlined, hard time to adjust. eventually went to 3 stage transistions, which are pretty good. Good for distance, computer screen & reading. (I can still take off my glasses to read a book, which is heaven to me).

I do love my distance only sunglasses when driving, they are the bomb. The one thing I hate is wearing them into the supermarket, then trying to read price tags .... doesn't work at all !!! Ended up on m knees one day looking at pricing, so embaressing !!!

I have saved some pairs of glasses for back up. My favs for riding the horses are distance only. I do not reccomend bi/trifocals for a canter/lope at all :oops: Makes ya dizzy.

I wear my trifocals most of the time, unless I an riding. Always keep spare glasses every where.

Good luck !!!
 
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After the reading glasses and magnifiers stopped being effective around 45 yrs old I went straight to bifocals. I tried one pair of progressive lens and dropped them after a year and went to bifocals. The bifocals were a magnitude better. Like Daksy I have 3 pairs, Transition bifocals, computer bifocals, and dark tinted polaroid lens, bifocals. They have helped me get the job done for almost 20 years now.
 
I've got really bad eyesight and have ever since I was very young- extreme nearsightedness combined with extreme astigmatism. Glasses are an absolute necessity, I wear them all the time, and I don't mind wearing them. No interest whatsoever in contact lenses, and I have seriously explored laser surgery but been informed that I am not a good candidate for it.

Here's my question- now in my mid 40s, I do find times that it's a bit hard to get my eyes to adjust to certain mid-close distances- with the glasses it is too hard to focus, but without them, the only way I can see anything clearly is 6 inches in front of my nose, at which point I am cross-eyed, plus I can't leave my glasses off and carry out any sort of ordinary activity.

I am making do, but I sense this is the writing on the wall that I am headed towards bifocals, just not sure when I'll have really passed the point of no return...

I try to buy good lenses and frames and keep them a really long time- which I am able to do because my prescription hasn't shifted significantly in years. I'd rather have one instance of sizeable wallet pain and get something that will last and I will be happy with than dealing with things that break or bend (and I end up being rough on my glasses due to lots of activities and a certain inborn klutziness- but really good frames end up less costly over time than flimsy ones).

My 'newest' pair of frames just broke so I pulled an older pair of glasses out of standby/ backup.

I don't want to invest in new frames and lenses with single-prescription lenses only to kick myself in a year if I realize I should have just taken the plunge to bifocals.

At the same time, I have known of a lot of people who seem to have hated bifocals- either inherently or getting used to them - having to tilt their head to unnatural angles, etc.- so I am not eager to make the transition any earlier than I have to.

Separate glasses for distance and reading are not a good option, in terms of either budget or carrying them around with me.

How "do you know" that it is time to face getting bifocals? I prefer to hear/ go by informed user info/ experience than what someone is trying to up-sell me to...

Thanks!
Hi,
I bought a pair of Superfocus a year ago, and had a recurrent problem with the adjustment cursor mechanism. I had my glasses changed twice, so it's the 3rd time that it happens, and Superfocus made it clear that they would not fix the problem for free any more. I think it's a flaw in the design, the mechanism is very crude, and wears off very fast, making the lenses adjustment uneven, which is very uncomfortable and create major headaches.
Well, I am tired of calling them, so I decide to move on. I lost $800, and will try the last progressive technology . I was very enthusiastic about the technology, but knowing the structural flaw in the design, I would not invest in this company. They are doomed.
 
Glasses ever since my parents could first afford them. Went from single vision to bifocals, then to progressives. Hated them, so back to bifocals. Hate bobbing my head up and down. Tried the new digital enhanced progressives. For me they work. But for reading a book, or for general use of a desk top computer, I still think non prescription readers work best. Some days I am on the computer 8 hrs straight. I would be exhausted if I tried to do that with the progressives or bifocal lenses.
 
Wore glasses because of slowly worsening vision since I was 8 or so.Previous visit to opthamologist in summer 2004 (same one I had all those years,he retired a few months later) I was told "With your family history etc...you'll probably need bifocals in 3-4 yrs.I was not quite 41 at the time.Got sidetracked among other things & didnt go back until summer 2009,his senior partner took over the practice & just like predicted I was fitted for them.

Really makes a difference,though now 3 yrs later I dont notice any further weakness in vision,am going to have them tested again in a few months when the money isnt as tight...

Asked about contacts 20 or so yrs ago,was told ''in your line of work being around various dust,dirt & debris so much,its not a good idea''.I wear clear or dark OSHA approved wraparound safety glasses over regular impact resistant eyeglasses.Faceshield either mesh,clear or dark solid depending on work being done.
 
Thank you all SO much for the helpful and informative input.

Asked around on some community online bulletin boards for who has an optometrist who they are truly delighted with, and a resounding chorus came back about one person who doesn't even advertise but is booking appointments a month and a half out.

Between the input here and the fact that I feel like I will be in really competent thoughtful care I now feel like I can let it unfold

Thanks again
 
Pybyr, Just wanted to add my story. Like you, extreme nearsightedness and astigmatism. Was checked out for eye surgery back when they still used a knife to do it and was told it was a no go. With all the advances, my regular eye doctor said most likely I still wouldn't be a good candidate for surgery.
I've been wearing glasses since I was in 1st grade and contacts (completely changed my life - really!) since I was 16 or 17, and not the soft lenses either. I have to wear the rigid gas permeable ones. Got the bifocals when I was in my 20s. With my current contacts and my age (43) I've been having a hard time reading lately with the contacts in. I am going to ask about the bifocal lenses next visit.

I wouldn't sweat the bifocals. Just another part of life and they will make your life that much easier. Why struggle when there's a solution?

Best of luck!
 
I'd like to know more about the bifocal contacts. Someone at works said they worked great for her.
 
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